Oregon's 2009 team.

Hopefully it sparks a conversation, since this really is our real big first game (USU doesn’t count).

If it doesn’t, oh well, I tried.

I’m expecting at least one loss this season, and I’d rather see a loss here than I would against TCU, BYU, or even worse, the other 9 other teams on our schedule.

But if we weather the first quarter in Autzen and adjust to the crowd noise, we can win this game.

You’re making an evaluative mistake we excoriated everyone for last year.

No one is saying Oregon did not have to rebuild much of their offensive line. But if you’re comparing 2 star recruitment rating of kids to ability on the field, then you are being Barry Switzer last year pre Sugar Bowl, because as he pointed out, most BCS schools wouldn’t sniff at Utah’s recruits. About a third to as many as a half of Utah’s kids annually get zero stars. So based on that analysis, we lose right?

So your point becomes what? That based on recruitment ratings, which if certain colleges don’t offer a kid the recruiters automatically think he sucks, we should beat up on their O Line?

Their O line has size, maturity, speed, physical ability, and a system that works around their strengths. As the Oregon folks were kind enough to point out, at this point in the year their offense is working in drills that they had not gotten to until fall camp last year. That is to say, their offensive unit is ahead of last year’s in terms of preparation. Offensive lines do have to play together, but they often play better for certain QBs, and Oregon has found theirs. Utah’s O-line is being rebuilt and no one thinks a starting QB is set in stone. Oregon’s O-line, while not showing many starts, uses a rotation system to keep legs fresh. So you’ll see O-linemen at the start who have significant game experience, and you’ll see new linemen if needed.

The old Canard about only 5 guys being out there was Alabama’s downfall—they were wholly unprepared for losing linemen, power teams always are. Spread teams operate differently, it will not be nearly as difficult for Oregon to replace 4 linemen as it was for Alabama to replace Caldwell and Smith. Not even, not a little.

Look at it this way, what team gives Utah fits every year? The undersized and under talented Air Force Falcons.

Why? Their line is fast and disciplined, and they spread it out.

This team we are playing plays fast, disciplined, spreads it out, is bigger, faster, and more athletically gifted in every other metric. The QB is there, their speed is there, their power game is there.

As for our O-line, we also lost a projected starter in Neli A’asa. as for our D, we lost two NFL corners that were bigger than their replacements and extremely physical—precisely what you need to play Oregon.

And their stadium is a death knell to visitors. Boise State had a great team last year and had to hold on to win playing against Oregon’s 4th string QB who turned out to be amazing but clearly was not there yet at that point. Boise State comes to Salt Lake and hands us our ass regularly.

I think our chance lies, as I noted, in our being able to move the ball on them. I don’t care how good your defense is, Oregon will move the ball on it unless one thing happens: their new coaches cannot handle game situations as a transition from OC to head coach. Say he neglects his defense, that kind of thing could get us the win. But that all remains to be seen. In a paper analysis, such as mine and yours are, they don’t give up much. Our D line and backers are good, let’s hope the Dbacks are there.

Now, Oregon has had a history of giving away some games they should not, does that sound familiar to you? It should, that’s 40 year of watching Utah Football here talking man and we have a history of losing games we could, and many we should, win. For the entire time I was a student there the catch phrase for our team was “found a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory”.

Did we turn a mental corner last year? Because Oregon sure as hell showed it in their development and the confidence they carried into this year.

Their D has some raw talent as well, but they aren’t tossing in babes in the woods, expectations are that the replacement linebacker will be their best as I recall. Our offense has to gel line to QB to wideout. The loss of the connection between BJ and those three senior WRs cannot be taken glibly.

So, if Utah is a head case historically and Oregon has seen that same bug bite them, do you really think their “too new” O-line will be as much of a factor as team cohesion and mental toughness, focus?

No way in hell. No way in hell.

The best prepared and mentally together team will win that game unless a fluke occurs. If our offense flounders our D is out there all night and we won’t be beaten, we will be massacred. Our O has to move the ball, that is why I said on their board: this game is big, but the previous two games for both teams this year will be more important in terms of determining how both teams have solved their issues.

We tune up against two cupcakes, they go directly into battle against BSU there and Purdue at their place. Purdue is no Utah, but they aint no Utah State either.

Last year Utah had an experienced team. We return 54 lettermen, not all with significant game experience. I believe in our coach, his ability to prepare and motivate our guys will be a key factor.

Well, we shall see.

I think Oregon’s confidence level will also play a huge role in this game. If the Ducks are able to topple the Bronco’s in their season opener (and then take care of business with Purdue) they will be a very confident bunch when we visit.
   On the other hand though, Utah has done a very good job recently against teams that rely on rushing attacks. We held Air Force in check and smothered Alabama’s running game in the Sugar Bowl. With that said however, both of those teams stayed in the game not giving up and getting success elsewhere (weather by throwing it deep or from good special teams play) we can’t let Oregon do the same thing. If we are able to stop the running game, we have to step on their throats and put the game away early.
  My point is momentum is everything in college football, if you let a team get in a groove and they start clicking on both defense and offense, It is VERY hard to get that momentum back in your favor.
   I don’t dispute the fact Oregon isn’t our greatest foe, (my pick is the TCU game at Ft. Worth) but let us not forget the lessons we learned by overlooking teams such as Colorado St. and UNLV. The team that shows up and wants it more will be the team that wins, period.

Interesting writeup here in an ESPN interview with Duck defensive coordinator Aliotti. Essentially, sure you can move on Oregon and even score, but that’s because they score so fast they tend to leave their D on the field all game (possesion only 25 minutes while gaining almost 500 yards per game). They seemed to have talent last year to go with those stats, racking up lots of sacks.

notre dame is a place where star high school recruits just dissapear. notre dame has been in the top 20 of high school recruits for as long as i can remember. i guess that 1-11 in bowl games(in recent years) shows all those high school talents. let’s not forget ben olsen who got his jaw broken at utah and has not been seen since. i believe he was the #1 high school recruit in the country. as for barry gun toting switzer. he is the old guard and considers utah a few steps below his beloved sooners. too bad oklahoma has lost it’s last 4 or 5 bcs football games. i’ll take utah’s recruits, with a solid coach and alot of motivation over all these teams with 4 star high school recruits. peace out !